


And in the Dark, I Can Hear Your Heartbeat

by XaviaAndromedovna



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Backstory, Canon compliant through Season 2, M/M, Sexytimes, insecure!Danny, public school is a cruel cruel place
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-04
Updated: 2013-04-04
Packaged: 2017-12-07 11:14:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/747891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XaviaAndromedovna/pseuds/XaviaAndromedovna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It might not seem it lately, but Danny and Jackson really are best friends.  And friends is all they'll stay if Danny has anything to stay about it.  Because high school is about image, and Jackson's image has no room for Danny in it, despite Jackson's attempts to the contrary.  But the two of them can't seem to hide from each other no matter how hard they try, and when Danny finally gets pulled into the craziness of Beacon Hills for good, he realizes that being friends isn't good enough.</p><p>After all, Jackson really is his type.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And in the Dark, I Can Hear Your Heartbeat

“Oh and FYI,” he moves in and flashes Danny his seduction face, that cocky combination of jock-boy features and sexual power that rarely fails. “I’m everyone’s type.” Danny is too busy processing to do anything but accept Jackson’s newest odd project, because as Jackson walks away, he is suddenly reminded for the first time in years of just how slashy his best friend could be.  
~~~  
Jackson is the only one who still plays dinosaurs with him. In fact, he’s the only one he does a lot of things with nowadays. He doesn’t get why, but at least they don’t openly make fun of him like Greenberg. Not like Danny cares; he doesn’t really want to share Jackson, and though Jackson totally could have been popular like Scott and Stiles, he prefers to hang out with Danny. It makes him feel funny inside when he thinks about that, but he keeps it to himself. The last time he tried to describe it, his teacher laughed and said boys didn’t marry other boys. When he asked Jackson why, he shrugged and said that marriage is for old people.

Jackson was a happy, carefree boy, and probably the kindest person Danny has ever met. So when Jackson comes to school one day looking scared and spacy, Danny gets to playing detective; today’s mystery: the case of the sad best friend. One of the many things the boys have in common is that they like to keep their personal issues to themselves. No matter what stupid stuff is going on in their lives, playtime is fun time, like they’re the only two people in the world and all that matters is whose turn it is to hide. But something tells Danny that today is different. This isn’t the Jackson he knows, and it scares him. So he investigates.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing Danny”

“Yeah right, I’m not stupid!”

“I don’t wanna talk about it.” Danny’s making it worse, and it’ll take some smarts to turn this around.

“I have an idea!” Danny unthinkingly grabs Jackson’s hand. A group of boys sniggers as they pass, but he’s already dragged his friend behind a wall before he lets him go.

“We’re not supposed to be back here.”

“yeah well this is a secret game, so we need to be somewhere they won’t follow us.”

“I don’t really wanna play right now.”

“Pleeease?” Danny deployed his rare but always effective friendly smile, and Jackson knew he was going to end up playing whether he wanted to or not. “Here’s the rules. We both take turns telling the other something secret, and the first to make fun of the other has to… give the winner their snack!”

“Did your mom make more of those chewy things?” Danny grins; that question is as good as agreement.

“Yep!”

“You’re on! You go first.”

“I know how to say Stiles’ name.”

“Really?!”

“Mhmm! But you can’t tell him I know!”

Jackson shakes his head, eyes comically wide. “I promise!”

“Your turn.”

The answer comes a minute later and several degrees quieter. “I’m adopted.”

“Oh.” Danny doesn’t know what to do with this information, or why it’s a secret. “How long have you known?”

“They just told me this morning.” That distant look asserts itself on Jackson’s face. Danny’s urge to make everything better goes into overdrive.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

“Nah, it’s fine. Just, don’t tell anyone, okay?”

Danny smiles encouragingly, “that’s rule number two; all secrets stay secret.”

It’s a totally Danny gesture, even though Jackson’s the only one who’d notice. He rewards his best friend’s efforts with what would become a totally un-Jackson move.

“Thanks.”

“Boys! You know you’re not supposed to be back here!” The recess monitor takes them inside to their teacher. On the way, Danny whispers something he forgot to mention.

“Rule number three. In the case of a tie, the game ends when we hug it out.” As such, though they’re quiet the rest of the day, when the kids are marched off to their busses, the game doesn’t end until they hug before parting ways. And if Jackson lets out a few secret tears, then that’s just him owing Danny a turn.  
~~~  
Danny takes this forgotten turn one day in 8th grade, when he invites Jackson over for The Talk.

He had realized early on that his relationship with Jackson would only hurt both of them. Hearing the way his dad talked about ‘fags’ like they would personally hurt his son, Danny developed a plan when they started middle school to keep Jackson safe. He was getting good at making plans.

“Step 1: Get you a girlfriend.”

“But I don’t want a girlfriend.”

“Jackson, people think we’re dating. Trust me on this one.”

“Who would I date?” Jackson had long since mastered the deathly-bored tone he hurled at everyone.

“Lydia Martin” Jackson burst into a rare giggle fit. By the time he realized Danny was stone-cold serious, he started to question his best friend’s sanity.

“How exactly will that help me? She’s the school nerd! Besides, Stiles would hate me more than he already does.”

“That’s Step 2: Take down Scott and Stiles!”

“How do you plan to do that?”

Danny positively beamed. “Lacrosse.”

Jackson joined in a conspiratorial smirk. “I could totally beat them in lacrosse!”

“So once you’re more popular than them, and once you’ve got a new girlfriend, you’ll be the most popular guy in this school.”

“So what?”

“So no one messes with the popular guy. Especially with Step 3: Make people work for your friendship.”  
“What do you mean?”

“I mean you’re too nice. In like, every movie ever, the popular guy is mean to everyone. It’s because you have to make people want to be friends with you. If you give them friendship for free, they can stop being friends at any time.”

“Makes sense. Just one question.”

Danny faked exasperation, “whaat…”

“Do I have to make you work for it too?”

This was a new Jackson smiling at him. It was a dangerous smile, a confident one, one that predicted Danny’s plan would come off swimmingly. Danny found it extremely hot.

And when this plan had gone off without a hitch, when Jackson and Lydia were the new it couple and Danny was destined to fade into obscurity as he planned, somewhat bitterly, it was only in the context of the Secret Game that Danny felt comfortable telling Jackson the real reason for the Plan.

“Danny, we’ve been friends since 3rd grade! Just tell me what’s wrong!”

This is not how things were supposed to go. Jackson’s chasing him down a hallway, not nearly as apathetic as Danny needs him to be.

“Let it go, Jackson.” Jackson doesn’t let it go. He pulls Danny into a serendipitously empty classroom.

“Secret Game, now.”

Danny rolls his eyes and gives him his best diva face. Jackson dishes it right back.

“You have to start Jackson, that’s Rule Number 4.”

“Since when?”

“Since I came up with this stupid game.”

“Fine. I think the plan is stupid because I can’t hang out with you anymore. I don’t care if everyone calls us gay, we know it’s not true and that’s all that counts. Now spill.”

Danny wants anything but to say what he has to say, because he’s about to push away his best friend forever. But Jackson’s secret cannot stand, because it’s a lie, and if the truth can save him, then Danny would tell him the truth. He’s always been a good friend like that.

“You’re wrong.” The silence is thick. Jackson knows better than to push it. “I am.”

“You are what?”

“Gay.” There’s a split second where Danny wonders if Jackson’ll freak out and try to hurt him, but the way Jackson just shakes his head chuckling, inching closer and closer, he’s more worried about the opposite reaction.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Because it’s not your problem.”

A hurt look overtakes Jackson’s face instantly. “Dude, you will always be my problem. You’re my best friend. You can trust me.” Danny refuses to meet his eyes. “Okay, new plan. Step 1: You and I hang out tonight. Step 2: You come out to everyone like it’s no big deal, because it’s not. Step 3: You kick the shit out of the first person who thinks otherwise. Step 4: Take over the school, then the world.”

The childish grin Jackson sports with its hints of menace and cockiness is contagious, and soon the two are embracing, the end of this round.  
~~~  
Two weeks later, Danny is out and proud, and accepted for it. His popularity skyrocketed with the beatdown he put on Greenberg, making him, Jackson, and Lydia the new world order. It’s weird for Danny, having everyone try to be his friend. He’s not sure he likes all the attention.

When Jackson comes over one night, he definitely doesn’t want the attention. It started out being a great time, the two boys just hanging out like always, and getting in bed together as they’ve done since they met. When they were younger, they had invented another game, one that was decidedly less innocent. And Jackson wanted to play it now.

“Jackson—“

“C’mon Danny you know the rules.” Danny can feel Jackson’s smirk where it’s caressing his neck. “No talking. Let’s start over.” Jackson goes back to kissing Danny’s always-smooth skin. Danny huffs in frustration.

“Jackson, seriously. What are you doing?”

“Danny please.”

“Dude, I told you, you’re not my type.” He lifts him to eye level, his face allowing no possible misunderstanding.

“You’re not mine either. So what?”

“I don’t want to confuse you.”

“I’m not sure I’m the one who’s confused.” Jackson smiles coyly at the boy beneath him, but realizes that that’s not going to get him anywhere with the kid who invented that persona for him. “Look, Danny, being with you is the only time I can be myself, alright? This isn’t about sex, or power, or gay or straight for me. I just wanna make you feel the way you make me feel.”

Danny can’t breathe. The problem is, Jackson really is his type— he practically invented Danny’s type— and that confession inches above his face with nothing between them but two pairs of boxers is about as good as a love song.

“This is the last time,” he whispers before pulling Jackson’s lips to his.  
~~~  
Something weird’s been going on with Jackson lately, and it’s taken a toll on their friendship. It’s like they’re friends in name only; this whole rivalry with McCall (though totally understandable given how hard they’d worked to overthrow him) has made Jackson really hard to bear in the past year. Besides, Jackson’s not his problem anymore. Now that he’s getting what he needs from Lydia, they’ve finally started growing apart as planned.

So when Jackson gives him this project and tells him what it is, he’s very worried, but mostly confused. This is such a real-Jackson request, but that one-liner in douche-Jackson’s voice is really throwing him. Luckily, the video is just what Jackson said it was: him in bed. No kinky sex or made-for-Danny porn-love-whatevers (Danny wasn’t quite sure what to expect). Although, if Danny’s being honest, it’s a little more creepy just watching him sleep.

He looks down for just a moment, but when he looks back, he moans in memory at a slight motion his best friend makes in his sleep, and it brings the loss of his virginity into sharp mental focus.  
~~~  
Somewhere during making out, he had flipped Jackson onto his back and was now kissing his way down his chest. He stands up to take off his boxers, and as he does so Jackson licks his lips as he watches, his hand resting lightly at the hem of his own boxers, as if an invitation for Danny to rip them off of him. Danny accepts.

And suddenly the game is on. They know the rules: no talking, no moaning, no coming. The first one to break the rules… well, they don’t exactly remember the punishment because like the Secret Game, it’s never come up. They’re always interrupted before either one can win. Eventually they stopped playing, because it became less of a winnable game and more of something a little too intimate. But there will sure as hell be a winner tonight, though the existence of a loser is up for debate. Soon they’re rutting against each other, panting hotly into each other’s mouths, hands exploring, pulling, pushing, tugging, grasping, caressing. Danny starts moving to go down on Jackson, but Jackson roughly pulls him up and crawls beneath him to start it off. If Danny didn’t know any better, he’d say Jackson was the gay one, not that he’s complaining. Just for tonight, Jackson can say he’s whatever he wants to be as long as he doesn’t take Danny out of his mouth right now.

At some point Danny loses control and starts thrusting into Jackson’s mouth, causing the less-prepared boy to gag. Danny goes immediately into best friend mode and brings Jackson’s face to his with a concerned expression. Jackson kisses him to assuage his fears, and reaches under the bed to grab the bottle of lube he knows Danny stores there. He squirts a bit on Danny’s finger, and not for the first time tonight Danny’s confused as to what exactly his angle is. When he leads Danny’s fingers to his hole, Danny goes wide-eyed, realizing just what Jackson wanted him to do. While Danny’s thrusting his fingers inside him, Jackson is in heaven, his hips bucking and his head thrashing about. He reaches around frantically for what turns out to be a condom, and Danny just stops. He looks to Jackson for as explicit consent as one can provide in silence, which Jackson enthusiastically gives with a smirk and a nod of his head. Danny knows cheating when he sees it, so he decides to even the playing field. As he’s thrusting himself into his best friend, he starts jacking the other boy in rhythm. Jackson breathes in sharply. Danny chuckles, knowing that it was almost a moan, but Jackson rolls his eyes, and pulls him down for wet, passionate kisses that make it easier to hide the borderline disqualifying sounds he’s emitting.

In the end, it’s a photo finish. As Danny reaches his last stroke, Jackson tightens and the two of them collapse in a giggling heap.

“A tie. Typical.”

“I guess that just means we’ll have to play again sometime,” Jackson says with as much meaning as he can muster. He wants to write a monologue about how he’ll never leave his only real friend no matter how shitty life gets. He wants to tell him that he can always trust Jackson, that he would never willingly hurt him. Jackson wants to tell him something he hasn’t told anyone in 6 years. He loves him.

“Jackson—“

“Yeah, I know. Last time, I promise.” Jackson lays a chaste kiss on Danny’s lips and pulls him into a spooning position, drifting off to the new memory of his first time.  
~~~  
It isn’t until he opens his eyes post-orgasm high that he realizes Jackson isn’t just on his computer screen. He’s in Danny’s door frame, watching him with equal parts arousal, amusement, and shock.

“Told you I’m everyone’s type.” He shuts the door. Danny scrambles to cover himself, but Jackson saunters over and puts his hand over Danny’s, a sultry attempt to lessen the distance between his hand and the other teen’s newly spilt milk.

“Don’t…”

“C’mon, Danny, stop pretending.”

“You promised.”

“You lost.”

“What? I— no, this totally doesn’t count.”

Jackson knows he’s won. “Oh this totally counts.”

“Whatever, you won. Congratufuckinglations, so what?”

“You don’t remember what the original deal was, do you?”

That’s Jackson’s conniving voice. Danny is even less comfortable. “Do you?”

“Of course,” Jackson grins, removing his hand and sitting on the bed. Danny quickly moves to wipe himself up. “We were debating continuing with the ruse that Lydia and I were the couple of the century or acknowledging what was going between us. If I came first, then us was just me being horny, and if you came first then it’s because there was something there.”

“That sounds like, the opposite of logical.”

“Yeah, well, a deal’s a deal. We have something, Danny. I don’t know what, or how, or why, but it’s there. You and Lydia are the only two people in this world who truly know Jackson Whittemore, and the only two that give a damn about him. Everyone else thinks I’m a heartless douchebag, but you two ground me and remind me that I’m not what I make everyone think I am. I don’t feel like I have to try around you. I… I… damn it dude, don’t make me say it.”

“Say what?”

Well, he had to say it sometime. “I love you.”

He stares—outright stares— at Jackson before shuffling around the room getting dressed. There is no way he can look him in the eyes right now, otherwise he’ll give everything away. Everything they’ve worked for will crumble in an instant with just one stray glance.

“Well, don’t.”

“What are you so afraid of?” Jackson is defiantly watching Danny’s naked form, and can clearly see what it’s doing to the other boy. It’s rare these days, but he’s not actually trying to be an ass. He desperately wants Danny to be as comfortable with this relationship as he is. “It’s funny. You’re the gay guy who wants nothing to do with the guy you just jacked off to, whereas I’m the straight guy who only wants to be with his male best friend.”

“See, that’s what I’m afraid of, Jackson. You’re straight. You shouldn’t be doing this.”

“You’re so hung up on labels! Dude, of anyone you should be the one totally okay with me not being 100% straight.”

Danny knows he has a point, but it’s hard for him to pretend he’s okay with himself, let alone Jackson. “You’re not the only one putting up a front. I mean, I know that every treats me like my sexuality is no big deal, and I try so hard to seem like it’s just another piece of me, but I think about it every day. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, to become just another statistic when some homophobic asshole decides to treat me the way I see myself. I spent so long being told I was disgusting and evil, it’s hard not to believe it.”

“Wow…” The whisper from Jackson breaks so many taboos they’ve set up for each other. It’s a judgment, pure and simple. Well, maybe not so simple. “I never realized…”

“Well that’s my real secret.”

“I just lost, didn’t I?”

Danny snorts. “Yeah, you did. But hey, that makes us even, doesn’t it?”

“As always.” Jackson takes this as permission to move in closer. He draws his best friend into the most raw hug they’ve ever shared. Danny doesn’t want to admit that it’s all he’s ever wanted. Jackson does. “I’m not scared.”

“Of course not, you’re Jackson Whittemore. I didn’t design you to feel fear.” Jackson takes Danny’s face into his hands and places the lightest of kisses on his lips.

“You didn’t design me to feel like this either.”

“So what do—“ Jackson’s phone rings.

“Fuck it, what were you saying?”

“Never mind, just answer it. It’s probably Lydia. I’ll let you know when the video’s done restoring.”

“Alright fine. I love you, Danny.”

“See you later,”  
~~~  
Danny knows what he has to do, and never thought he’d have to be at this point, but he is. He knows it’s irrational, because he knows now how Jackson feels about him. But it’s better for both of them if he moves on with Lydia. He can hear Jackson screaming “WHY?” in his head, but he ignores that question like he has for years. He can’t be happy with Jackson because he just can’t.

So he finds himself at Jungle, making stink eyes at his ex-boyfriend and getting plastered. Eventually, he takes the bartender’s advice and starts dancing with this hotty who’s just what he’s looking for right now. Definitely boyfriend material. And everything’s going fine until the smoke thickens and he thinks he hears Stiles calling his name (which is just impossible), and suddenly he’s paralyzed on the ground. When he’s wheeled out to the ambulance, Scott runs up to him and starts asking questions. He gets through the conversation with McCall— barely— and notices the odd collection of people at the scene. McCall himself is the last person he expected to see within 100 feet of Jungle. Stiles not so much, but judging by the sheriff’s face as Stiles tries to talk his way out of it, this really is out of character. He sees Cousin Miguel way in the distance— no wait, that makes zero sense. Whatever did this to him, it’s definitely causing Danny to hallucinate, especially since Miguel’s eyes seem to be glowing red. Danny decides that he’s out of fucks to give, and tries to pass out on the ambulance ride, only to be continually awakened by the EMTs.  
~~~  
Matt is definitely Danny’s type. And he just might be interested in Danny too. Working together on Jackson’s video, while a blatant breach of trust, was actually helping them bond a lot. Maybe Matt was the key to getting over Jackson.  
~~~  
Nope, definitely not. It should concern him that his type is evidently serial killers.  
~~~  
“And if you see me coming towards you, run the other way as fast as you can.”

The sheer panic in Jackson’s face, the confusion, the dead eyes Danny catches sometimes, it’s all really freaking him out. He knows that he needs to be there for his friend, but he has no idea how. For the first time, he feels completely helpless to save Jackson from whatever turmoil is swallowing him whole. Not just him, the whole gaggle of them: Jackson, Lydia, Scott, Stiles, Allison, the Leather Triplets. Danny feels like the last to know and he hates it because Jackson has been his to take care of since they met. No matter what was happening they’re supposed to have each other. He thinks for a second that there’s a contradiction there between this and his earlier plans to ditch Jackson, but he’ll be damned if he isn’t there for Jackson when he needs him to be.

“You owe me a secret when we’re done here.”

“Rule number four, dude. You first.”

The next thing Danny knows, Jackson’s dead on the field. The world stops. People run and scream in slow motion. For Danny, the stadium lights never come back on. The light in his world is gone forever. He’s kneeling by Jackson’s body, one second away from completely losing it. As the corpse is wheeled away, he starts a game they’ll never finish.

“I love you too, Jackson.”  
~~~  
He almost doesn’t answer it.

“Fuck rule number four, we need to talk.”

Jackson’s dead. He saw him die. Who the hell is texting him and how do they know about that?

He must have hesitated too long, because suddenly he’s being dialed from Jackson’s phone. He answers tentatively. “Who is this?”

“Don’t freak out.”

His first reaction is immense relief. But this lasts about a millisecond before he’s at the top of his lungs. “WHAT THE FUCK JACKSON WHAT’S GOING ON?!”

“I’ll explain when you get here, just hurry. This is important.”

Danny is glad the sheriff is busy working on the murder of a living person, because he tries to break the land speed record on the way to Jackson’s house.  
~~~  
It’s not just Jackson. The whole group of crazies is there, even Cousin Miguel. And Mrs. McCall and the sheriff, and the Whittemores, and Allison’s dad. And the vet from down the street. And the school guidance counselor. And some creepy guy he’s never met and never wants to see again.

“What’s going on?”

“That’s what I’d like to know!” Mr. Whittemore shouts. Mrs. Whittemore restrains him from standing up for what Danny assumes not to be the first time in the past two minutes.

“Derek, if you please?” Stiles prods, physically and vocally. Miguel gets up, and Danny throws Stiles a very confused glance.

“Oh right, we should probably start with the basics. Danny, this is not my cousin. This is Derek Hale.”

“Derek Hale, as in—“

“He was exonerated!” Stiles finishes hurriedly, anticipating the death glare from Derek.

“Yeah, coming from you that’s not so comforting. Sheriff if you don’t tell me why these two are violating a restraining order in addition to letting a known fugitive into my house, I will sue your ass so hard—“

“DAD. Stop.” Jackson looks beyond tired. Not just physically exhausted, but dead to the world. It’s as if his body came back and not his soul.

“Look, no one wants to be here right now, but there are some things we have to settle,” Derek begins. “A lot of people saw Jackson die and will be asking too many questions about how he’s suddenly alive again.”

“Yeah, why don’t we start there, Mr. Hale,” Sheriff Stilinski urges. “How exactly is he alive?”

“He’s a werewolf.” Several people choke out a laugh. Danny would too, if it weren’t for the pained, bored, or worried looks on all but three faces.

“You’re bullshitting me, right?” Mr. Whittemore is on the warpath again, and before anyone can do anything, Jackson is on his feet, eyes glowing blue, looking like something out of a cheap horror film. If anyone didn’t believe it before, they certainly believe it now.

Derek picks up like nothing happened. “This conversation has been a long time coming. There’s a lot we can’t tell you, but the important thing is that it’s not safe for Jackson here anymore. He needs to get as far from Beacon Hills as he can as fast as he can.”

“Why can’t he stay here?” Lydia’s question seems very unwelcome if Derek’s eyebrows are a hint (and given Danny’s previous interactions with him, they probably are). “If you and Isaac can avoid being caught for months why can’t Jackson do the same?”

“Oh sure, because being on the lam is such a great experience—“

“Isaac don’t provoke her it’ll only make it worse,”

“Sweetie, just because you got a makeover doesn’t mean you can talk about me like—“

“Are they always like this?”

Jackson’s done. He’s beyond done. He lets out a deafening roar, stalks out of his seat, takes Danny by the wrist and storms up to his room. Once there, he finally lets out a breath.

“Can I hug you? We’re tied right now and I think you need it.”

“That’s it? You find out I’m a werewolf and that’s all you have to say?”

“No judgment remember?”

“How are we tied?”

Danny looks at the ground. “I told you a secret while you were unconscious.”

“What was it?”

“I…told you I love you too.”

That’s it, that’s the one thing Jackson’s wanted to hear all night, all year, since he met Danny. He accepts his offer by pulling him into a bone-crushing embrace. He can still hear everyone bickering downstairs and deciding his life for him as it’s always been decided for him, but all he cares about is the boy in his arms.

“I wanted to tell you sooner,” he says eventually when, they’ve both calmed down a bit. “But I didn’t know how.”

“I don’t care. You can tell me later. But right now, I just have one question. If I asked you to leave Lydia to be with me, would you?”

“In a heartbeat.”

“Okay. Then I’m okay with her knowing before I did.”

They smirk, then giggle, then roll on the ground crying from laughter, because this is who they’ve been all along, two boys who experience unbearable joy when near each other.

“She saved me. I was accidentally turned into an evil lizard thing instead of a werewolf, and she brought me back.”

“You love her.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be! I’m not actually asking you to leave her, it’s just oddly nice to hear. I know you two aren’t just for show. Otherwise I never would have set you up.”

“You’re an idiot, you know that right?”

“Yeah, I think I’m beginning to realize that.”

“Well, technically I have to break up with Lydia for you anyway, because I won. Also, I owe you food.”

“Haha, yes, yes you do.”

“Tell you what. I’m gonna take you out on a date. A real date, like, totally cheesetastic cliché Hollywood Date.”

“Not if Derek has anything to say about it.”

“He doesn’t. He’s not the guy I’m sleeping with.”

“Well then it’s settled.”

Jackson puts on his douchebag face just for Danny’s amusement. “Damn right it’s settled.” The two kiss, and kiss, and then much more than kissing, reveling in whatever time they still have to be each other’s world. Maybe everyone downstairs can hear them. But they don’t care, because no matter how much they think they see or hear (or smell, as Danny will soon learn), they will never feel the two of them the way they feel each other in moments like this, when they’re just heartbeats in the dark.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't own Teen Wolf, or Florence, or anything.


End file.
